Word of caution...

[shofer]

In 2000, we were on a family reunion cruise and our last port of call was St. Thomas, the shopping capital of the Western Hemisphere. My mother and I were just browsing when she spotted a beautiful aquamarine/diamond bracelet that matched a ring she had. She had left her money and credit card on the ship so I just used mine to purchase it.

 

We arrived home the next day, Saturday and on Sunday we got a call from Mastercard wanting to know if our card had been stolen since there was this unusual jewelry purchase in a place out of the country. Of course everything was ok, but I was surprised by the call, never thinking the charges were monitored.

[Bru92]

Credit card fraud is a part of this modern world and the card companies have come up with some very sophisticated computer algorithms to detect unusual charge patterns.

 

In the United States we have very limited liability for any credit card fraud. Debit cards can be a whole different thing.

 

It is really the problem of the banks but what has happened is that banks try to make it everyone else's problem.

 

Consumers get their cards shut down without warning and end up with hassles just trying to live their daily lives while merchants get charge backs on fraudulent charges and eat most fraudulent transactions themselves.

 

If there is suspicious activity, why can't a bank make an identity challenge instead of declining a transaction outright? They don't want to take the time. They would rather leave you stranded figuring out how to pay for dinner instead of helping customers.

 

The credit card companies look at fraud as a cost of doing business and are not aggressive enough in prosecution.

 

Just my two cents worth.

 

Mike

[spearmint]

We always phone the credit card company to give them our itinerary, so that transactions will not be declined. We do everything by CC which gives us Air Miles in Canada. That said, the advice given already which is to take another credit card from another bank is solid; just be sure and alert that bank as well!

 

Two short anecdotes: Last year, our nephew came to visit us while we vacationed in Florida. He did not inform his credit card company/bank. They not only put a stop on his card, they also put a stop on his bank account so that he could not use his debit card either. And he had a hell of a time getting a response from the 24-hour 800 number help line!

 

This year, driving to Florida, a friend's card was declined, even though he had used it several times in several states.(He had not informed the company that he was leaving the country.) When he checked with the company, he was told that there was more than one charge (totaling a couple of thousand dollar) made on his card.........in Hong Kong! How did the company not see if one makes a purchase in North Carolina, that shortly thereafter a charge from Hong Kong is not possible!

 

Also, does anyone else but me find it strange that many businesses are now accepting charge cards under a certain dollar amount ($50 for example) with no signature required? Accessibility to a card is getting easier rather than more difficult it seems to me.

[Spender Nui]

Always let your credit card company(s) know when you are going out of town, the dates you'll be gone and when you will be in each port. They will put the information in your account and if a charge is made outside those parameters, they will question it.

 

Well worth the 5 minutes it takes to do.

 

 

I do agree with you it's a good thing to do.

 

In this case though the information would verify the OP was in Grand Cayman and the date. This was the place and date the charges were made and a red light wouldn't have been set off.